Chapter 2 — On the Snowy Night of Bereavement, I Used the Golden Token of Immunity to Overturn the Whole Family

On the token, four words were engraved with cinnabar. Dan thu thietu (golden token of immunity from death) That is the item that my father, Tran Quoc Cong Hua Kieu, before dying in battle on the battlefield, was granted the right to be exempted from death by the emperor himself. Before he passed away, my father gave this item to me, saying that this was the last card of the Hua family. If there was no other way, he would absolutely not touch it. I looked at that cold iron plate and burst out laughing. Tears silently slid down, falling on Thiet Tu's face, instantly turning into ice. Co Canh Minh. You think you are the God of the Co family. You think you can control the life and death of our mothers and children. You are wrong. Tonight, dying is not in my heart. But you, Co Canh Minh, are the entire future of your entire Co family. It was your own hand, using my son's life, to bury everything. It's not even dawn yet, I'm already awake. I don't wear mourning clothes, but instead wear a lady's court uniform. That is the glory that when Co Canh Minh was appointed Academician of the Academy, I had. Now that I think about it, I just feel extremely ironic. I don't stand in front of the mirror, meticulously applying makeup little by little. The woman in the mirror, her face was pale, dark blue circles under her eyes, but her eyes were so bright that it scared people. Like a cold planet. I used a brocade scarf to wrap the woven book and hide it in my sleeve. The cold feeling came, making my chaotic mind become strangely alert. I didn't alarm anyone, I walked out of the Co family mansion alone. Heavy snow had fallen all night, and now it had stopped. The entire capital was covered in pure white, quiet without a sound. Step by step, we stepped on the thick layer of snow, making dry "rustling" sounds. Every step is like stepping on your own heart. Hang Nhi's small body was still lying on the bed. I didn't dare turn around and look back at it. I'm afraid that with just one look, that newly built ice layer will collapse in the blink of an eye. I cannot fall. At least for now, it's not possible. I have to demand justice for my Hang Nhi. A justice must be paid with the lives of Co Canh Minh and his entire family. In front of the palace gate, strict defense. Seeing a woman like me coming here alone, the guards' eyes were filled with caution.

“Who is the one who comes?”

“The wife of the Academician Co Canh Minh of the Academy, Hua Tri Y.”

I announced my name, my voice was calm without a ripple. The guard assessed me from top to bottom, his tone was not at all friendly.

"The royal palace, is it the place you want to enter? Quickly leave!"

I don't argue with him. I pointed from my sleeve and slowly took out the iron sheet wrapped in a brocade scarf. In front of them, layer after layer opened up. When the mysterious iron token engraved with the cinnabar seal was revealed in the faint morning light, the expressions of all the guards present changed. The head guard commander's pupils suddenly shrank. He quickly walked down the steps, almost stumbling towards me. He stared intently at the iron plate in my hand, his lips also began to tremble.

“This… this is… Tran Quoc's Work... is not yours.

“It is the relics of my ancestors.”

My voice is still as calm as ever. The guard leader's face was instantly filled with awe and horror. He made a "thud" sound and knelt on one knee to the ground.

"The blind general did not recognize Thai Son mountain, please forgive me, ma'am!"

The guards behind him also knelt down in unison. This is the power of Dan Thu Thiet To. Dear Emperor, seeing it is like seeing a king. It represents an immortal merit that the entire Hua family is loyal to, using fresh blood in exchange. It's also my only support today.

“I want to see your Majesty.”

I looked at the guard commander kneeling on the ground, saying each word word by word.

“Mother General… Mister General immediately go and report!”

The guard leader frantically stood up and personally led the way for me. The road leading to the palace is long and makes people feel stuffy. The red walls with yellow tiles, delicately carved, under the reflection of white snow, appear even more solemn and quiet. I didn't glance to either side, following the guard leader, passing through the palace doors one by one. The surrounding palace servants and eunuchs all looked at me with eyes that were both curious and awed. They were probably secretly speculating about the origin of this woman who dared to barge into the palace early in the morning. I waited outside the royal study room. Not long after, a great eunuch wearing a royal robe stepped out, it was Cong Ly, the person most favored by the emperor. As soon as Ly Cong Cong saw me, he was momentarily stunned, then his eyes fell on the iron plate in my hand, his face also became serious. He turned towards me and bowed respectfully.

“Madam Hua, Your Majesty summons someone for an audience.”

I took a deep breath and walked across the threshold of the royal study room. The room burned ambergris, warm as spring. The reigning prince, sitting behind the dragon bench, approved the chapter. At first glance, the emperor is only about forty years old, has a majestic appearance, does not get angry but has prestige. I knelt on the ground, both hands raising the iron plate above my head.

“Father Hua Tri Y, see your majesty, long live the king, long live the king.”

The Emperor put down the lipstick in his hand and raised his eyes to look at me. His eyes stayed on the iron book set for a long time, his expression complex.

“Miss Hua, do you know what it means when you use this thing?”

“Father knows.”

“Once this set of documents is released, I can pardon your sins from the Hua family, and can also grant you any request, as long as it does not violate the rules of the ancestral temple.”

The emperor's voice was low but powerful.

“But, just this once. After using it, your Hua family and this world will no longer have half of the kindness left."

“Father… I understand.”